Subtle Personal Mods.

[alp]

I like to make subtle mods to my bikes to personalise them. Here are mine so far:-
a) Screen displays Miles to Empty in the top line....I was checking this today and took it down to 20 miles left before filling up. I now have confidence in this read out. Anyone taken it closer to empty yet?
b) Screen displays MPH in numbers in the bottom line.... I no longer look at the analogue speedo. Highly recommended.
c) Rubber bungs fitted in all the open frame tube holes.... I made these up myself and it really tidies up the side view. A non BMW dealer remarked how it adds to the quality appearance.
d) Raised the gear change lever....The lever is easily adjustable for height position. I raised mine to give a bit more room to get my boot under the lever for upward changes. You just need a 10mm spanner to loosen the 2 locknuts and an 8mm spanner to rotate the threaded link.
e) Screws (6mm and 8mm) fitted in open threaded holes in lower part of the engine casing.... These holes are for the engine bars but if the bars aren't fitted the screws will prevent road junk getting into these threads and prevent problems if fitting engine bars at some later date.
(Sorry no photos)

 

[Wrinkly]

Certainly going to have to raise the gear lever when I get mine,the bit that you use to lower the side stand kept fouling my boot on the test ride making for many missed gear changes.

Steve

 

[Count]

I'm going to raise the gear change slightly, it's not quite right to get my boot underneath it and a tad higher would be better.

My display has current speed on the top line and range underneath. I think this is better as the temp warning for ice overrides the lower display at times and that's fine with range but I'd rather see the speedo all the time. I don't use the analog speedo at all.

I have checked the speedo against the Garmin and it adds about 3mph or so to the actual speed it seems. I trust the Garmin to read pretty accurately and this is what I'd expect. My Ducati speedo by comparison is almost spot on which I'm surprised at, most add a margin of error.

 

[Nutty]

Miles since fill up on top, and current speed below.
Bar risers make a big difference.
Will adjust the gear lever as mine's also a little low.
I'm interested in the rubber bungs you've made as there are loads of holes; what did you use?

 

[Count]

I'm also fitting bar risers when my Touratech box arrives. I've also noticed already I've picked up a ding in the radiator. It's not a big bash, just enough to crease a couple of fins. I'm fitting the radiator guards as well. The radiators look very discrete but from the business end they are quite exposed with no grills.


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[Nutty]

I'm also fitting bar risers when my Touratech box arrives. I've also noticed already I've picked up a ding in the radiator. It's not a big bash, just enough to crease a couple of fins. I'm fitting the radiator guards as well. The radiators look very discrete but from the business end they are quite exposed with no grills.


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I have those on mine, the chap at BMW thought it was odd that I got them as the bike won't be doing any serious offroading. Point proved.

I've just given mine a wash, and the amount of tar on the front engine casing was ridiculous. I'm waiting for a crud catcher from Mr Hooton, and a fender extender whenever they get round to making one.

 

[Count]

The front of the engine definitely picks up road debris. I think I'd prefer a guard there rather than a fender extender. I'm not sure how much impact a guard in front would have on cooling, I've not had experience of this engine before so don't know if a plate guarding the engine from crud would cause cooling issues being effectively a wind break.

I'm not that worried about the bike being grubby, more bothered by scuffing up the actual engine itself, I'd rather have a sacrificial shield in place.

Touratech have said 10 days lead time and that was a week ago so I should be fitting some bits next weekend all being well. I've gone black coloured as well so it will alter the appearance of the bike some.

Another nice touch I've noticed is that the scroll wheel for the satnav is offset to the rear so it's better placed for your thumb! Not a biggie but it's that attention to detail that makes you feel (just slightly) better about the premium prices BMW charge.


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[stevie Allen]

The front of the engine definitely picks up road debris. I think I'd prefer a guard there rather than a fender extender. I'm not sure how much impact a guard in front would have on cooling, I've not had experience of this engine before so don't know if a plate guarding the engine from crud would cause cooling issues being effectively a wind break.

I'm not that worried about the bike being grubby, more bothered by scuffing up the actual engine itself, I'd rather have a sacrificial shield in place.

Touratech have said 10 days lead time and that was a week ago so I should be fitting some bits next weekend all being well. I've gone black coloured as well so it will alter the appearance of the bike some.

Another nice touch I've noticed is that the scroll wheel for the satnav is offset to the rear so it's better placed for your thumb! Not a biggie but it's that attention to detail that makes you feel (just slightly) better about the premium prices BMW charge.


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Mate from experience Marks crud catchers are the mutts nuts No problem with cooling and the distinctive ding the catcher makes when it's hit by stuff you know would have been hitting the engine is very reassuring.thats why I'm first in the queue when he brings the new one out .

 

[alp]

I'm interested in the rubber bungs you've made as there are loads of holes; what did you use?

For the big holes I used rubber from a redundant back protector, approx 10mm thick. It has a smooth surface and is closed cell so won't absorb water and if you make them slightly larger than the hole they compress in the hole to stay in place and haven't moved during rides. Even the swing arm pivot holes with the splines worked out well since the rubber expands into the spline recesses. The big one under the seat at an angle was the most difficult to make.
For the small holes I had some plastic bungs which fitted but if not I would have used the rubber on those as well.

 

[Deleted account 181015003]

I have the old model 1200 and went the machine art fender extenda and added a small mud flap it does the job of keeping most the crap and all of the stones off the front of the engine and access is not restricted when washing the bike.

 

[Mark Hooton]

Mate from experience Marks crud catchers are the mutts nuts No problem with cooling and the distinctive ding the catcher makes when it's hit by stuff you know would have been hitting the engine is very reassuring.thats why I'm first in the queue when he brings the new one out .

Thats kind of you to say, thank you.

 

[Mark Hooton]

The front of the engine definitely picks up road debris. I think I'd prefer a guard there rather than a fender extender. I'm not sure how much impact a guard in front would have on cooling, I've not had experience of this engine before so don't know if a plate guarding the engine from crud would cause cooling issues being effectively a wind break.

I'm not that worried about the bike being grubby, more bothered by scuffing up the actual engine itself, I'd rather have a sacrificial shield in place.

Touratech have said 10 days lead time and that was a week ago so I should be fitting some bits next weekend all being well. I've gone black coloured as well so it will alter the appearance of the bike some.

Another nice touch I've noticed is that the scroll wheel for the satnav is offset to the rear so it's better placed for your thumb! Not a biggie but it's that attention to detail that makes you feel (just slightly) better about the premium prices BMW charge.


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Geezer, this might help, its a good alternative to an extender...............

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Touring close up by cymarceng, on Flickr[/IMG]

best regards, Mark.

 

[Appman]

My Ducati speedo by comparison is almost spot on which I'm surprised at, most add a margin of error.

On a recent Naughty Boy Speed Awareness class we discussed Speedo Inaccuracies and our belief that error margins were added (apparently not).

A. The Law now has ZERO tolerance on Speed.
B. Modern Speedo Technology. no longer take the reading from the wheels, rather using the advanced technology that modern bikes/cars have to measure such things as Crank Rotation, Gearing etc. This make the Speedo exceptionally Accurate, however apparently Tyre Wear means that the Speedo accuracy does change slightly over the life of a Tyre.

After being caught by that invisible camera I will take the "under" speed reading at least for the next year or so

 

[Rod]

In the hand book for my Multistrada 1200, it tells you the speedo over reads by 8% !!

 

[Count]

8% I think might be in the book for mine as well iirc


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[fishburger]

I will do somthing with them grey sidepanels,I orderd the white one,will propably paint sidepanels same color,or find a nice white pearl color,and stick some colorfull bmw logo like the one on the 12000gs rally on it.

 

[shortywilliam]

I like to make subtle mods to my bikes to personalise them. Here are mine so far:-
a) Screen displays Miles to Empty in the top line....I was checking this today and took it down to 20 miles left before filling up. I now have confidence in this read out. Anyone taken it closer to empty yet?

Down to 5 miles left yesterday and it still only took 18.5 ltr. If that helps

 

[Flipfly]

On a recent Naughty Boy Speed Awareness class we discussed Speedo Inaccuracies and our belief that error margins were added (apparently not).

A. The Law now has ZERO tolerance on Speed.

That might be the law (and they are bound to tell you there is no margin on a speed awareness course), but in reality there is still a margin of 10% that most coppers work to. Cameras are different and are governed by how much the local council want to make financially, in wales they are brutal, in staffs they seem to be a little more leanient.

You don't get many people done for 71mph on a dual carriageway, it's usually high 70's or more.

I spend alot of my life at 80 on the motorway, never been done yet

 

[Hammam]

Miles since fill up on top, and current speed below.
Bar risers make a big difference.
Will adjust the gear lever as mine's also a little low.
I'm interested in the rubber bungs you've made as there are loads of holes; what did you use?

What bar risers did you fit? Did you have to change or re-route cables?

 

[Nutty]

What bar risers did you fit? Did you have to change or re-route cables?

I went with the Touratech risers, no need to adjust cables